Katrina Gillett
Geography Coursework
Katrina Gillett
Question
Assess the impact of human activity on the sand dunes and the management that could be taken to prevent further erosion.
Hypothesis
I think that the more human activity within the area the more erosion of the sand dunes, so more management will be needed to protect the area.
- What threats face the sand dunes at Gunner Point, Hayling Island?
- Human
- Recreational
- Physical
- Sea
- What impact has recreation (visitors) had on the sand dunes?
- Dogs
- Walking
- Golf
- Blow out
- Footpaths
- Tasks use
- Footpath erosion (table 2…task 3.1)
- Blow out dune (table 3…task 3.2)
- Transect (recording sheet 1…sand dunes)
- What management systems do they have in place?
- Boardwalk
- Shingle beach
- Fencing
- Bins
- What other management strategies could be beneficial?
- Tasks use
- Litter survey (Task 3.3…table 4)
- Possible management strategies (Task 4…Map 3)
Introduction to Sand Dunes
Sand dunes are important ecosystems. They are formed on large sandy shores, where the sand is able to dry out and then blown inland. There are very few requirements needed to make sand dunes, but over time these make up a succession (Fig 2 and Fig 5):
- A supply of dry sand, wide beach
- Onshore winds
- Low lying land behind the beach
Although the sand dunes take up around 9% of the UK’s coastline (See Fig 4) they are seriously under threat, as they can easily be eroded from both human and physical activities, i.e. human activity (trampling). This has meant that pathways among the sand dunes have eroded to a point where plants are being destroyed; causing the roots that bind the sands/soils together, and protect it from erosion have gone, so is at greater risk from the eroding winds. Managing the sand dunes however poses a problem, as they are all entirely open to the public. They are full of many rare species of both fauna and flora, which increases the human activity, as more people travel to see them, making this the largest form of sand dune destruction.
